Ottawa Field Trip
November 2010
Resume
We went on a two day field trip to the Ottawa-Gatineau region to examine the area's Proterozoic rocks of the Grenvillian Central Metasedimentary Belt, the Cambrian-Ordovician sediments, and the quaternary glacial features. Key stops included Grenvillian exposures in the Gatineau Hills, the Eardley Escarpment, the Precambrian-Cambrian unconformity, Ottawa River stromatolites, Kanata school gnessic drumlins, and the Nepean sandstone in the Kanata centrum. We stayed overnight in a rustic cabin in the Gatineau region. Good times had by all!
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Mont Saint Hilaire Field Trip
October 2010
Introduction
On October 11, 2010 a group of 11 graduate students from the Earth and Planetary Sciences department, McGill university and three visiting students from France and Germany had the opportunity to enter the Poudrette quarry at Mont Saint-Hilaire. The trip was organized and funded by the SEG student chapter of McGill as well as the department and joined the Club de Mineralogie de Montreal for this visit.
We investigated the spectacular geology and mineralogy in the quarry and collected rock specimen of many rare minerals, such as arfvedsonite, eudialyte, rinkite, analcite or sodalite. But the visit has also contributed to science, beyond the simple act of collecting minerals. Especially valuable are the observations of the magmatic processes involved in the formation of this syenite intrusion. Several of our geology graduate students are working on similar rocks and associated rare earth element (REE) deposits elsewhere in Canada, therefore it is important to look at analogues.
Figure 1: Fully equipped, extremely motivated McGill students
Geology
Geology...
Figure 2: A thick syenite succession is exposed in the Poudrette Quarry
Figure 3: Stoped blocks of marble which represent metamorphosed wallrock sediments
Figure 4: Discussions on the outcrop and models scribbeled on old newspaper
Figure 5: Mineral hunters in action
Figure 6: Coarse crystals of sodic amphibole and eudialyte in a miarolitic cavity
Figure 7: Lunch break in the quarry
Figure 8: Hard rock geologists like the power of the "persuader"
Figure 9: View on Lac Hertel at Mont Saint Hilaire
Figure 10: Mont Saint Hilaire is also home the the Gault nature reserve, which is maintained by McGill University and invites to a nice hike.
Figure 11: View from Mont Saint Hilaire to the southeast on Lac Hertel and Mont Rougemont in the background
Figure 12: A well-earned beer on top of the mointain at the end of the day...
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